Numerous prior art systems for manufacturing flexible containers, or bags, for use with infusion solutions in the medical field are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,656,813, describes a system for industrial production of these types of bags. These bags are sometimes generally referred to as form, fill and seal (F.F.S.) containers. These bags typically have a laminated construction and include a valve to accommodate various connectors of an infusion apparatus, such as a luer-type valve. The bags are typically sterilized during or after the manufacturing process. Sterilization of a bag that incorporates various design features, such as valves, can be difficult. The manufacturing and sterilizing process becomes even more difficult with present day bags that may be required to have additional features, such as means for bag suspension, complex valves, or twin-valve systems. These features create areas of the bag that are difficult to access by a sterilization solution during the sterilization process. This can cause variation in the sterilization times of these areas, which in turn can cause incomplete or ineffective sterilization. This variation can also have an effect on the proper selection of sterilization solution dosages.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system and associated method for manufacturing F.F.S. containers of flexible plastic materials that can be easily sterilized without the disadvantages of previous systems and methods.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for manufacturing F.F.S. containers of flexible plastic materials that are characterized by high manufacturing efficiency, sterilization reliability, and precision.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a less expensive and space-efficient system for manufacturing F.F.S. containers of flexible plastic materials.
These and other objects will become readily apparent after review of the specification, drawings, and accompanying claims.